The Dawn of the Grimm
by DemonFoxBK201
Summary: Ruby Rose is well known amongst the dark parts of the cities, the stories say she fights both with, and against Grimm, and people want her secret. Ozpin offers her a spot in Beacon, and she accepts. Yet, the 'Grimm Reaper' will have problems with her new career, especially considering the fact that she, herself, is a Grimm.
1. Subtlety

**OOF forgot that when you delete chapters the story gets featured again, kinda rushed in the finalized version of this chapter forgive me ;-;**

 **How's it going guys? A recent review led me to begin writing this again. I've taken a very different turn and I hope that you guys can appreciate it. I had no actual plot plan for the previous story so I hope that this one is better appreciated.**

 **I have a decent plan of the plot for this story that I will follow, but the will to write still breaded me at times. Wish me luck :p**

 **Oh and thank you for your continued patience with me, not much else to say.**

* * *

I was not the first to come. Many were created before me, rising from the Void, becoming the darkness in this world, and drowning life in negativity. They ruled the wilds, and were the dominant species, efficient with their teamwork, and nearly unkillable due to their armored forms and ability to survive without food. Their black forms hid in the shadows and ambushed unwary beings. Top predators became wary of the red-eyed beasts.

Many species that I will never see were returned to the Void. Their tales lost as they ceased to exist.

This world had existed for many millennia before the humans came into existence. They were vulnerable to everything.

The stones on the ground cut into their feet, the branches of dead trees sliced through their skin, the sun burned them and the cold slowed them, they had no claws or fangs to fight, they had no armor or poison, they were nothing.

And yet, as if to prove us wrong, they prevailed.

Their intelligence and adaptability provided them with the ability to make their own claws, and they cut down animals to use the hide as protection.

Only a millennia after the first of them came into existence, I came too. I was born from the Pools when my brothers and sisters around me were smashing the bones of humans into dust, and slicing them to ribbons.

I began my life as one of the Lupus' descendants. I was the last to come from an ancient, withering, Pool, one that hadn't given life for centuries, and after my birth it finally dried up.

Unlike humans, I was not thought of as monstrous or mutated or inferior by my peers for my unusual birth, I was as equal as any. As while my kind are emotionless and dangerous, we have a kinship even between our different types, whereas the humans, driven by foolish insanity, discriminate and go to war with each other, destroying their own kind.

From the start of my days I knew I was different. I took interest in more things than simply returning humankind to the Void. I found myself studying the mannerisms of different species, and learning how to fight them. I was, young, and small, but I was smart, and I became the Alpha.

Humans fight and kill each other, but it was their communication and ever-changing fighting styles that allowed them to become a real threat to us.

They called us Grimm, and named my variant Beowolves, but they had a special name for me. Even the humans could notice my different behavior, and I started to appear in their meaningless stories as the Dog, as if my passiveness against humankind was equal to domestication. Indignantly I began to travel and hunt with my kin once more and this false tale was lost.

I can still remember how I used to hunt. I would call my pack together, spreading them out to surround the human village, and we would wait until the moon had risen. A shrill howl would flow down my throat, and then we would be upon them. Their villages fell into disarray quickly, as they were not aware that our kind could organize and coordinate. What they had even less knowledge of was that my kind _couldn't_ properly coordinate at the time, it was learned after several more decades. I was far ahead of any other strategic planning, and my tale became the King, as if I was the head of all of my kind (since they had no idea of the difference between Grimm genders). Also false, but soon after that story arose I became unconcerned with human folklore as my interest turned to the Faunus, for they could be considered very similar to _us_ if taken at face value.

For _we_ both had animal traits that marred our human appearance. However, while theirs could be a vast variety of colors, and were usually quite meager in comparison to their animal counterparts, ours only had two: black and white, and were often quite large.

I was the first of this new 'Grimm' variant, and it would take almost two centuries for _us_ to receive a name from the humans. Two centuries that I spent gleefully destroying civilization with my kin and feeding on the animosity that the humans produced in troves. Those were my adolescent days, before I realized what I was causing with my actions. Due to my signature tactic of scouting a town 'in disguise' (although it was my true form) before demolishing it, we were called Echoes, those who imitate the humans. False accusation, for the change I went through was involuntary.

Yet despite my smaller form and my shed pelt, my skin remained as tough as the bone armor that had been honed for centuries before it was shed, and my strength and speed continued to match that of my larger, abandoned, form. I was the first 'Echo' and it was many centuries before another of my kind would shed their armor and join me.

It was with my cunning and my remarkable ability to wield the humans' weapon, the 'Dust', that I realized that I had come to possess something revered by humankind for its power: a soul. It was with this unique trait that I trampled my foes with their own weapon.

It was near the end of those two centuries, often called The Queen's Campaign by those who study the past, that I met _her_. The woman that was my only friend.

And it was only in her fall that my ways changed.

* * *

"Hello, Miss..?" A voice speaking with an intelligent, carefully emotionless, tone subtly asked of her name. The speaker, was a tall, gray-haired, man with spectacles over calm brown eyes that were currently locked with hers in a stare-down. His blonde-haired, stern-eyed assistant was looking between the two with a tense expression.

The person in question was a girl of small build, a red cloak masking her appearance. An eerie bone mask had been set on the table in a respectful manner, and her shadowed gaze was fixed on the tall man.

A plate of cookies had been placed before her, but she showed no interest in them. Only a slight twitch of her nose indicated that she even acknowledged their presence.

"Ruby." Was her only, monotone, answer. _'Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon, a famous school for Hunters.'_ Ruby acknowledged in her mind.

Ozpin nodded, "Do you know who I am, Miss Ruby?"

Ruby had half a mind to crack her typical emotionless expression with a raised brow, but decided against it, "Of course, you're the Headmaster of Beacon, Ozpin." She replied simply, knowing exactly what answer he wanted.

He nodded in acceptance once more, before taking a moment to take in her appearance. Her black combat boots were worn with obvious years of use, the black dye in the leather was slightly faded looking more like a faded dark gray. Her black and red dress went down past her knees, also having an obvious wear and tear to it, with the occasional stitches to mend the fabric. The cloak that seemed to stand out the most in her appearance was riddled with tears and bloodstains. Her weapon was a mildly noticeable, compact, metal form sitting in the small of her back, and Ozpin found it unlikely for the weapon to be in better condition than her clothes. This girl was likely from a poor family, or perhaps even an orphanage, where hand-me-downs were an unfortunate commonplace.

Regardless, her exceptional combat prowess that she had displayed while taking down the thugs was rivaled by few, and Ozpin got the feeling that she hadn't even been trying when he and his assistant had watched her from afar.

"Where did you learn to fight like this?" He showed her his Scroll, which displayed her decimating the thugs that had tried to rob a dust shop with only her aura-infused fists.

Ruby shrugged, "Grew up fighting Grimm." Not a complete lie. Ozpin seemed satisfied with her answer, but Ruby could tell that he was more than a little intrigued.

"Would you like to come to my school?" He asked, the barest hint of curiosity touching his voice.

She tilted her head, as if in thought. She felt no ill-will coming from either of them, only suspicion and curiosity were prominent in their emotions. Memories flooded her mind, and within only a couple of seconds she had examined the pros and cons and figured it would be an interesting experience. "I would."

* * *

Ozpin had carefully explained to her where to be and what time to be there as if she didn't know what a Bullhead was. Was she any lesser being she would have spared a chuckle, but such human emotions did not easily come to her. She boarded the airship with feigned nonchalance, but I'm her mind she was fascinated. _'Don their appearance and they'll trust you so easily. It still surprises me.'_

Many of the humans had shiny, well-maintained, armor and a noticeable compact weapon. That was, she realized quickly, where the fault in her appearance was, and why Ozpin treated her gently. He had mistook her worn armor for neglect.

The Bullhead took off a few minutes after Ruby had boarded, and began its ascent to the combat school. A few minutes into the flight, a large stray Nevermore, attracted by her presence, squawked loudly, hoping for the attention of the higher Grimm. Within the next two minutes the bird was disintegrating into shadows. A storm of emotions surrounded the occupants of the ship, but most of them were positive emotions, and she lost interest, finding a quiet corner to sit in. _'Farewell descendant of Corvus.'_ She silently prayed to the fallen Nevermore.

"Didja see that?! That Nevermore got destroyed!" Ruby allowed herself an irritated glance in the direction of the voice. A red-head with rowdy turquoise eyes was literally bouncing in her chair restlessly as she conversed with her quiet friend. Noticing the glance, the quiet boy send her an apologetic smile and she turned away.

There was no peace or quiet to be found in the short flight to the school. Numerous people ignored her presence, with the only person who talked to her being the rowdy redhead. Having noticed her friends apology, she had bounded over and started talking to Ruby. Ruby attempted to follow along for only a couple of minutes, before tuning her out.

As the Bullhead landed the girl jumped up and rushed out gleefully shouting.

"I'm sorry, Nora can be a handful usually." The quiet friend walked up to her after the both left the Bullhead. Ruby nodded in response eyeing the boy. His calm demeanor was expressed in his bright magenta eyes, and were highlighted by a streak of the same color going through his dark hair.

"Please do not be angry with her, she can be difficult but she knows her boundaries, even if she does push them on occasion."

"I will not." Ruby responded simply. The boy thankfully noticed her lack of interest and dismissed himself with a respectful nod of his head.

As she made her way to her required destination, the auditorium, she noted the different 'freshmen' as they were called. Her new classmates.

Dully she recognized the irony in the situation, an elder Grimm was to become a Huntress, a warrior designed to cut down her own kin.

She found herself brooding on the subject before shaking her head to rid the thoughts. With a huff that summed up her mood, she entered the auditorium, which was already bustling with the earlier arrivals. It took another half hour before all the Bullheads had touched down and the students had all gathered in the large room.

Ozpin stood at the end of the stage, staring down at the students, taking a few minutes to just examine his students. His eyes met Ruby's before moving his gaze away.

"I'll… keep this brief." He began. "You have travelled here today in search of knowledge…"

He moved into the shadows as he finished his speech, leaving curious whispers from the students in his wake, before his assistant fell into his place before the microphone.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed." She proceeded to follow the professor, leaving the students free to do as they wish. Ruby was near immediately swamped with conversation and changing emotions from all sides, none including her.

She quickly fled the auditorium, searching for the ballroom, and found a small, quiet, group of people migrating to said room. She sat against the wall, finally putting her hood down to relax. With her only belongings being a small satchel that held her bone mask, weapon, and a few combat supplies, and with no clothes to change into, she was content to simply rest.

A slight spike of negativity in the form of doubt and anxiety attracted her attention. A Faunus girl with catlike yellow eyes was staring at a book, but the swirling emotions told her that the girl wasn't reading. Interested, Ruby found herself approaching the brooding girl.

"Hello." She said simply. Plopping herself down roughly a meter away from the girl.

The girl snapped out of her thoughts, clearly not expecting to have been talked to. She examined Ruby, not-so-subtly acknowledging her pair of pitch black wolf ears, one torn from a past battle.

"Hello." She replied, feigning nonchalance, but Ruby found it obvious that she was interested. "You seem… younger than seventeen, were you admitted early?"

Ruby actually felt a want to chuckle, but neglected to do so. "You could say that."

The girl seemed to hesitate, but Ruby could tell she was dealing with inner turmoil. Resting her head against the wall, Ruby was content to let her sort herself out, and the girl seemed grateful for it.

After what was possibly a quarter of an hour (Ruby found it difficult to tell time when she was 'resting'), the girl raised her head and glanced at Ruby.

"What's your name?"

Ruby opened her eyes, staring at the girl. "Ruby."

"Blake." She turned back to her book, but couldn't focus on the words; this wolf Faunus intrigued her.

Deciding to help her out, Ruby glanced at the book, "What's it about?"

Blake blinked in a moment of confusion before realizing that Ruby was talking about her book.

"It's… about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body…" She trailed off, unsure of how to continue the conversation.

Ruby finally raised her head, images of a specific Nuckelavee bombarding her mind. She felt a tiny smirk on her face, "Which one's winning?"

Blake raised a brow at the question, seeing the first hint of emotion on Ruby's face in the form of a hesitant smirk.

"Uh… It's… hard to tell right now, I'm still near the beginning of the book." Blake said, almost mumbling.

Ruby allowed a grin to slide onto her face, in what was probably a vain attempt to relax the girl. It worked, and Ruby could feel the doubt radiating off of her subdue itself to muted curiosity.

"So," Ruby began, topics whirling through her brain before she decided that she was never one for subtlety, "Why hide your ears?"

All calmness that had settled into Blake immediately disappeared and her anxiety returned with a blazing suspicion. A barely audible gasp came from the girl and her eyes narrowed.

"I… beg your pardon?" She said with an almost sarcastic undertone.

"I've never been one for subtlety." Ruby explained nonchalantly.

Blake glanced around, keenly aware that they were no the only occupants of the room. No one had heard Ruby's quiet voice. Blake looked down at her lap and sighed.

"I don't want to be judged for what I am. If people want to judge me it should be for my actions." Blake had abandoned part of her own subtlety, staring at Ruby's own ears. Ruby could tell that her species was being misinterpreted, but she had decided not to care when she accepted Ozpin's offer. "I'm sure you've experienced the same discrimination that I have."

"Not quite but I'd imagine it's similar." Ruby agreed. Hunts for Grimm wasn't quite discriminatory, but whenever she visited human towns she could see for herself. "Regardless I would say it's better to just accept what you are, rather than build your life around lies. What's to say it won't come crashing down once you can no longer hide?"

Blake just shook her head. If her life was built around being entirely human, then that wasn't the life she wanted. Ruby grasped her train of thought by feeding off her self-doubt.

"Well, everyone has their own way." Ruby curled up into her cloak. Content to sleep right there. There was a shift in Blake's emotions as she came to some realization.

"Ruby." Ruby opened her eyes, looking towards Blake but not moving her head. "Thank you for sharing your views."

This time Ruby couldn't keep the raised brow off her expression, and after a few curious blinks,Ruby finally closed her eyes once more to rest.


	2. Unfortunate

Ruby awoke at dawn out of habit. A few students were already up, cleaning themselves and preparing for the coming initiation. Blake was gone, but her belongings remained, signaling that she would be returning.

Ruby picked herself up, as she stretched. She could feel the satisfying cracks of her arms and back popping, before she let her arms fall to her sides.

Anxiety surrounded the majority of the room's occupants almost like a shroud, since they had little confidence in themselves. Unable to frown at the wonderful feeling that came with 'filling her belly' in Grimm fashion, a small smile graced her face. She didn't need sustenance, but it was a damn nice thing to feel, and it was one of the very few things that could make her feel true joy.

Blake returned with her apparent combat clothes, a bow still firmly tied around her second pit of ears. She had a hesitant smile on her face when she saw Ruby, and Ruby only nodded in response.

Together they walked to the locker rooms. Ruby had no belongings in the lockers, and was merely following out of courtesy. Blake punched in her code and readied her weapons, an unique sword/nunchuck/pistol that spelled death clearly in its sharp blades. Similarly, Ruby unfolded her own weapon, a simple, bone-white scythe that was carved from some of her armor after her transition. She felt that the weapon suited her, and it had become signature to her. A black pattern like the dripping of liquid had dried onto the blade. She could see Blake eyeing her scythe with a mixture of doubt and curiosity.

Other students began flooding in, and not just once Ruby had received a nasty glance from a few students. Blake inwardly was writhing in anger, while outwardly she was entirely neutral, yet Ruby simply didn't care. Neither the rowdy girl nor her quiet friend had any sense of doubt or anxiety, with the girl practically radiating self-confidence, and with little hesitation they left the locker room. Many other students, such as an obviously experienced Amazonian girl had hints of doubt, likely about what was to come, but most never voiced it.

Neither Blake nor Ruby spoke a word, and after both gave a silent, affirming, nod that they were ready, the exited the locker room. The walk to Beacon was silent and calm. Blake's seemingly endless self-doubt was muted, and she seemed to be enjoying the soft breeze that tickled their faces.

Ruby could tell that the forest below was infested with Grimm. She fingered her scythe, wondering if she would have to order the Grimm to attack her. _'Of course I'd have to. They love me.'_

With the enjoyment she felt from the trickling anxiety and trepidation coming from the students, she grinned with excitement. Blake gave her an amused and slightly confused glance, that Ruby only returned with a grin. While she usually had no emotion that was prominent enough to display in an expression, oncoming combat could always change that.

Other students gathered a a slow pace, and it took nearly an entire hour for the launch pads to be filled. Ozpin, with a tone that allowed no questions, explained what would happen during initiation. They would be launched up, then as soon as they land they would look for a partner. Ridiculously enough, the first person to make eye contact would be their partner— for their entire time at Beacon. Afterwards they would look for an ancient temple and recover some artifacts.

As the first of the launch pads did their job, a blonde boy began with a question on landing strategies. "Uh...sir..?"

Somewhat flabbergasted, Ruby sighed before the world whirled into motion around her as she was flung into the air.

A thrill went down her spine as the wind rushed past her. A type of glee that can only be felt when doing something against the very nature of her kind filled her, she was flying. The excitement died almost immediately as she felt the Grimm in the forest shift: they sensed her.

Ruby drew her scythe, cutting into a tree and promptly straight through it— it wasn't until the blade collided with a second tree that she was slammed to a sudden halt.

Her bones were jarred but Ruby didn't really care, her dislocated shoulders popped into place with a sickening crack within only a few seconds. Having well over a millennia to nurture her aura did that. She dropped from the tree, her knees straining, only to be healed quickly.

A guttural roar met her.

She glanced up, an Ursa on its hind legs roared at her, as if wanting to prove its strength. Ruby merely stared at it wordlessly. The Ursa was clearly young and eager to please, and after not receiving reaction from her it settled onto all fours and found itself staring at her. _'Himself'_ Ruby corrected in her mind. The Ursa, unsure of what to do, sat there as still as death itself.

Ruby could feel the eyes of thousands of Grimm on her, awaiting orders to attack the students, and she knew right then that this was probably going to be a long day.

"Are you listening?" She whispered, but she knew every Grimm in the forest heard her, for she was using the tyrannical order that came with being an elder Echo.

The Ursa stood, his spine going rigid, as he waited for her orders.

"Treat me as you would a human. See me as a human."

Confused and utterly stunned the Ursa watched her with blank, red, eyes, before Ruby put some aura into the order and the Ursa snarled at her. He charged with an interesting mixture of panic and forced anger radiating off of him. Ruby gave a sad smile in farewell before cutting down the descendant of Ursa. A swift slice to his unarmored neck ending him instantly.

 _'Forgive me Ursa.'_ She turned her head to the stars, hidden by daylight, to send a silent prayer to the first Ursa.

There was a shift in the Grimm just then, as the Ursa dissipated. Panic.

The Grimm fled from her, not wanting to be forced into attacking their own kin, least of all her. Ruby smiled, seeing Nevermores overhead migrating out of her line of sight. She let them flee, she didn't want to needlessly cut down her kin after all.

A bubbling panic turned her attention elsewhere, to two students facing off against some of the fleeing Grimm.

Ruby practically flew through the trees, her speed semblance taking her to their destination in less than a second. In a flash of shadows that typically manifested from her aura use, she appeared, digging her scythe into a hulking Ursa. The Ursa went limp immediately, dissolving into shadow. A Beowulf turned to her, growling. Panic welled into the surrounding Grimm but her influence forced them into battle.

"Shh…" she whispered as she cut through a whimpering Beowolf and turned her strike into a stab with her blade into the neck of a rumbling Creep that had been close to the Beowolf, "This'll be over quickly."

Her words ring true. She cut down the struggling Grimm mercilessly, leaving no survivors, and within only a split second the surrounding Grimm were disintegrating into shadows.

 _'Forgive me…'_ She prayed once more to each respective star constellations. A shift in the emotions of the students took her attention once more, they were surprised and suspicious.

"Heya," She said in feigned friendliness. "Thought you might need some help." Easy as it was, the tension disappeared, and was quickly replaced with awe and a renewed confidence.

A blond boy with a calm demeanor and squinted eyes regarded her with feigned indifference, but for Ruby, his inner awestruck showed as clear as day. His partner, a large armored man with brown hair and blue eyes sneered at her, firmly believing her victory over the Grimm was a fluke.

"Tch, those Grimm didn't fight at all when you came, what'd you do?" He demanded.

Ruby looked at him with her near-perfected 'innocent look', and she could tell he was internally struggling to figure out what exactly happened, and how this child could have bested so many Grimm.

Ruby blinked owlishly at him, "What do you think they were running from?"

At once a feeling of dread overcame the two, they glanced around suspiciously in fear. Inwardly Ruby grimaced, if the Grimm hadn't been fleeing from her these two would be a beacon with how much negativity the brown-haired one alone radiated.

Ruby suggested they move to find the relics, and they traversed the forest together. The blond introduced himself as Dove Bronzewing, while the other as Cardin Winchester. Ruby politely returned the gesture, naming herself as Ruby, while she led the group at a brisk pace.

Irritation poked at her senses, coming from Cardin as well as numerous other negative emotions. Ruby could tell he had finally noticed her wolf features. With haste he came upon her recklessly, as if he hadn't just witnessed her overwhelming speed in battle. His hands closed around her torn ear and he held her in a lock, with pain burning her upper head.

"So, a little animal thinks she's all that just 'cause she can kill some Grimm?" He leered at her, smug that he had so effortlessly caught her, but Ruby could see from up close that the confident front he displayed was covering self-doubt and past struggle. Ruby opened her mouth to speak, only to shut it as a familiar combination of emotions neared.

As if to answer Cardin, a black ribbon wrapped itself around Cardin's waist and he was hefted into the shadowed trees. A spike of pain shot through her as her ear tore further, with a slight smell of blood. Ruby appreciated the gesture, but it was unneeded.

Dove stiffened cautiously drawing his weapon, regarding Ruby and the surrounding forest with equal caution. His nervousness radiated off of him like a shroud: a shroud of wonderfully scented anxiety that could be smelled for miles.

A loud screech alerted Ruby of the elder Nevermore she had sensed earlier: they were near its nest. 'His nest!' The bird took flight, massive black form flying overhead. He screeched in defiance to Ruby, wanting to slay this elder Echo to prove its strength. The bird dove, massive beak cutting into the ground as his body sabotaged trees with a frightening ease. Ruby easily sidestepped, grinning at the bird in greeting, before grabbing Dove by the scruff of his armor and fleeing.

Effortlessly she weaved through the trees with practiced ease and followed the anger she sensed from what could probably now be considered her friend. Dove grunted as she instantly came to a halt, numerous scratches littering his body, before they quickly started healing with his aura. Had Ruby been a regular human she likely would've grimaced at the scene laid out before her: Blake was straddling Cardin, ribbon around his neck and blade pointed to his chest for good measure as she warned him of the consequences if he continued his discriminatory actions.

Unwaveringly, Cardin sneered at her, "What's your problem?"

Blake said nothing, her face impassive, but her eyes murderously glared down at him. With an amusingly practiced motion, she retracted her weapon and kicked Cardin away, where he shot to his feet and brandished his mace in challenge. He walked forward, bristling anger in his every step and an enraged expression glued onto his face.

Ruby motioned to Blake, not caring for caution. They locked eyes, sealing the deal, and both took to the trees to flee. Ruby raced up the gritty bark, centuries of practice making her movements graceful and confident. Blake couldn't help but watch with amazement as she ascended the tall tree in seconds. The cat Faunus climbed the trees with grace rivaled only by Ruby, and both humanoids jumped from tree to tree quickly exiting the area. The Nevermore screeched overhead before a flurry of massive black feathers pelted the forest. Ruby tripped Blake purposefully, briefly taking the branch for herself, and as Blake exclaimed in astonishment as she plummeted, she froze in understanding when a feather pierced where she would've been. Ruby joined her partner on the ground as the rain of feathers came to a halt, grinning smugly when she noticed the feigned indifference on the Faunus' face. An interesting mixture of irritation and gratefulness were the only prominent emotions in the girl at that moment.

There girls raced through the underbrush, eventually losing the Nevermore for a short while as they raced through a densely packed forest. With haste they travelled in search of their destination: the temple.

Ruby held out a hand and they both came to a halt as the ground suddenly opened up beneath them in the form of a sheer cliff. A noticeable aged structure was in the large clearing before them, with withering pillars supporting chess pieces.

Several students were already gathered. The rowdy girl was parading around the 'temple' with her friend, now partner attempting to calm her down. Cheery shouts of "I'm Queen of the castle~" only served to further the girl's dancing motions and the boy's attempt to stop her. It was only when the boy gave up and finally shouted "NORA!" That she giggled and returned to his side. Yet despite the boy's obvious annoyance, there was no true anger or hostility towards the girl.

Another pair of students, a tall blonde and an icy white schemed girl, seemed to be endlessly arguing. Random statements, some of which had nothing to do with the actual situation, were being said in barely subdued shouts as they attempted to beat the other in verbal battle. Both girls were bristling in anger, and the blond had no subtlety to her clenched fists and gritted teeth. The arguing pair was being entirely ignored by the other pair of partners.

Ruby was somewhat interested in what they were arguing about and was readying to interrupt before two new people, one that Ruby could recognize as the Amazonian warrior, had a very sudden shift in emotion and began racing in their direction.

Another elder Grimm had been disturbed during this test. Ruby turned her head in the direction they were approaching from and sensed not one elder Grimm, but two. The Nevermore had called upon an ally.

Ruby glanced at her partner who was regarding her with curiosity at her sudden shift in attention.

"We need to go." Ruby explained vaguely, there was no point going into detail, for the two elder Grimm would reach them within the next three minutes. Regardless Blake raised a brow in obvious questioning, but Ruby shook her head. Ruby nodded towards the temple. Blake dropped down and gathered a piece, which appeared to be one of the black ones, but Ruby couldn't tell which, since she never was one to play chess.

Ruby nodded in acceptance, and she walked back in the direction of the cliffs, only adopting a more brisk pace when Blake was back by her side.

"So," Ruby began, not entirely sure how to approach the subject. Once the Grimm realized that the two students were no longer leading them in her direction they would break away to pursue her. No other Grimm would interfere, because only an elder Grimm could possibly have a chance against an elder Echo. Ruby wouldn't use her authority against the Grimm, for once it wore off they would mindlessly search for her to serve her. Such was the life of a conquered Grimm. Her best chance was to corner herself and take the two Grimm alone, the only problem was her partner and the well-hidden cameras that were posted around the forest. Ruby needed a place away from prying eyes.

A shift in the elder Grimm told her that their direction had changed, and they were now directly pursuing her. Ruby blinked as she realized that Blake was staring at her silently, waiting for her to finish her sentence.

"Blake, can you go ahead?" She gave no reason as to why, Blake was reasonably adept at sending tones and the underlying 'no questions asked' was enough. Blake looked more than a little confused, and a brief look into her emotional state told Ruby that Blake was likely trying to figure out if she should or shouldn't. Ruby let her sort herself out and, without waiting for an answer, she doubled back.

Barely more than a minute after she started walking back towards the temple, the trees crumbled before her, revealing an elder Deathstalker and a screeching Nevermore. A ever so subtle glisten of glass told her that she was being watched, as well as a vague awareness that Blake had turned when she heard the screech, and was now rushing toward their location with a wild panic, told Ruby that this would have to end quickly: Blake would be in danger otherwise. Ruby unfurled her eerie bone-white scythe, black streaks along the blade that looked suspiciously like blood trails, and settled into a lazy stance.

"Come." She commanded with not even a hint of the glee she usually felt during combat. This was not only a fight with her kin, but was also an unfortunate circumstance.

The Deathstalker charged, its ( _her_ ) massive size allowing great speed for the normally slow Grimm. The moment she was in appropriate range, her tail lunged, but Ruby was no longer in that location. The Deathstalker reeled back, screeching in anger more than pain as her tail fell uselessly off, with only a single slice wound near the base. The Nevermore dove, claws outstretched to grab Ruby, only for a similar fate to be bestowed upon the Nevermore and it took to a greater height, now with one less foot and only one claw. The Nevermore began to circle back, determined to slay this unstoppable Echo, while the Deathstalker battered the ground where Ruby had been moments before with her pincers. The pincer fell to the ground and started dissolving just as the Deathstalker's tail had done moments before.

The Deathstalker writhed in an unreadable mixture of negativity, the fight had barely lasted ten seconds, and she was now realizing that she had never stood a chance against this elder Echo. Ruby leaned against a tree, waiting for the unbearably slow bird to complete its circle. The Deathstalker clicked its mandibles with a request for death. Ruby glanced up with a prayer, then disappeared. In the next moment the Deathstalker was without the upper half of her body, and dissolved into shadow.

A mixture of awe and terror tickled her senses as Blake watched her deal the final blow. Ruby huffed in what she admitted to be annoyance, Ozpin better not kick her out, this was an interesting variant of 'fun', even if it involved needless killing of her kind.

Ruby hefted her scythe, polishing the blade with her palm, which was sliced through with extreme ease, as if her skin wasn't as hard as that Deathstalker's armor had been. Blood dripped from her hand and the blade, but as the blood slowly dried, the blade hardened.

Such was an Echo's greatest weapon against other Grimm: their blood. Echoes were literally made to battle themselves, as if their human appearance brought a with it the humans' tendencies to attack each other. Ruby had her own use for her blood.

Sensing the Nevermore getting closer, Ruby climbed a nearby tree (one of the few that hadn't been demolished by the two giant Grimm) a scrambled up to the topmost branch, just as the bird overtook her.

His beak slammed down on her form, but he only had a brief moment to cherish his victory before a massive cut appeared on his belly. He was falling now, as he no longer had the strength to stay aloft. The burning pain was spreading to his neck. Confused, he only had one more moment of life before he dissolved into shadow with the final blow to his brain.

Ruby looked to the sky, where there had previously been the red insides of the Nevermore. _'Forgive me, Corvus.'_

* * *

Blake was far behind, but was running at a steady pace to Ruby's location. Ruby sighed and settled onto a rotted log, deciding that it was best to answer any questions she had at this moment.

"That was amazing!" Blake barely managed, still huffing and panting in response to her long sprint.

She had watched Ruby slay the Deathstalker with extreme, almost lazy, ease, and had seen Ruby allow herself to be eaten. Blake had stared at the massive, age-old Grimm as it flew away, horror seeping into her mind, before a long bright red slash cut through the bird's stomach. After a few more seconds, with the Nevermore wailing as it crashed into the ground, another slash had appeared, this time closer to the neck and thus more lethal. The small, almost innocent looking girl that Blake had gotten for a partner then showed her true colors for combat and dealt the final blow without waiting for the Grimm to bleed out.

Blake had finally caught up with her partner long after the bird had dispersed into the surrounding shadows, entirely out of breath.

Ruby said nothing with typical unreadable expression. She allowed Blake to catch her breath, and Blake figured she was waiting for questions. A million different questions had passed through her mind as she sprinted there: How could she cut their armor so easily? How many times has she done this before? Why cut yourself on your scythe? And several, several more.

One glance at Ruby's expression, with a barely unhidden, muted tiredness and a slight sense of resignation in her eyes, was all Blake needed to see.

"So, if you're so strong why let Cardin bully you?" Blake could've laughed at the stunned expression on her partner's face, but held it in. She grinned at Ruby, who seemed to appreciate her gesture of privacy.

"Showing off would only anger him further, not to mention I've dealt with worse." Ruby said with a tiny smile.

Blake nodded her head appreciatively, dark thoughts in her mind at the second part. Ruby left her to reflect as they walked towards Beacon Cliff in an appreciative mutual silence.

* * *

 **Cheers my dudes, I'm going to see if I can keep a consistent schedule and update on Mondays… maybe make the beginning of the week a tad bit brighter for some of y'all :) I've already got the next chapter written so look forward to it next week!**

 **BUT I'm giving you a heads up that in the summer I can rarely bring myself to write… so during summer I'll update maybe two or three times, and after that unfortunately you'll most likely have to wait until school starts up again and I have a more consistent schedule. I've got two more weeks of school, and I'm already halfway through chapter four soo, you'll for sure at least get one XD**


	3. Annoyance

"Hmm…" Ozpin hummed in thought out of habit. There was an odd situation on his hands, with the team making being especially difficult this year. In his hand was his Scroll, displaying the partnered pairs that still had not been placed on a team.

Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren, while an unorthodox pair and opposing personalities, their friendship made them adequate partners. Relationships were an important part of Hunters' lives, after all, for some, they were the only thing that kept them sane. Surely the bouncy girl would give the boy a run for his money, but he had an obvious patience when dealing with his childhood friend. They had grabbed the white queen piece, and thus had no official team as no other pair had grabbed the partnered piece.

Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc, arguably one of the luckiest pairs to have been matched in the Emerald Forest. They complimented each other very well, and were virtually complete opposites. Pyrrha Nikos was a famous champion in Mistral, well experienced and yet quite lonely. On the contrary, Jaune Arc, from a formerly famous family, was anything but experienced, but had a definite ease in making friends. His strategic mind made up for his lack of capable combat, which would make him a fantastic leader. They had grabbed the black bishop piece, which was where the problem lay. Ozpin grinned from under his coffee mug and switched the teams that they were originally going to be on (he had a feeling they wouldn't work well with Mister Cardin Winchester) and promptly switched them to what he felt was a more appropriate team. Team names could come later, but Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie would compliment Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos far more than the other freshmen.

But alas they were not the only problematic pair of partners.

Weiss Schnee and Yang Xiao Long, admittedly a rather unfortunate pair, but perhaps the talkative, laid-back, blonde would help Miss Schnee relax and open up. However their clashing values would definitely put them of to a rocky start. Yet, in his many years of heading the school, there had been many unlikely pairs blossom into warriors with an utmost trust in the very partner they had formerly squabbled with. They had snatched the black rook piece, which also had no partnered pair. Far too many students had backed out last minute or simply died by the hands of a pack of Grimm. Neither would've been worthy Hunters.

Ozpin frowned, unlike the other two pairs this particular pair had not encountered any Grimm during their initiation, which meant their combat performance had yet to be accurately determined. This unique situation was mostly at the fault of the fourth pair of not-yet-teamed partners.

Or rather, one member of the pair.

Her display of skill and unknown technique still played on an endless loop on the Scroll before him.

"Sir," Glynda said from beside him, sending his thoughts, "We should question Miss Rose." Glynda prodded, not for the first time. There was no need to voice what they would be questioning her about. As was typical when Ozpin becomes lost in thought, he found himself ignoring his trusted advisor.

"Sir?" Still no answer. Glynda was most definitely irritated by now, but Ozpin knew she would never voice it.

As if it was yesterday, despite how it was many, many, decades ago, Ozpin remembered meeting a specific species of Grimm, often thought to be no more than myths: an Echo.

That particular ancient Grimm showed no interest in eradicating the human race as was common among the dark creatures, in fact her behavior was very similar to Ruby's. Only the dull uninterest in Ruby's eyes when he had met her conflicted with his current theory that Echoes could change appearances.

Then again he had also treated her with little more than intrigue, and there was the possibility that she couldn't recognize his new body.

Interesting.

It was quite likely that she indeed was an Echo due to her apparent ability to communicate with the Ursa, and how the Grimm seemed afraid of her. Interesting as the situation was, it was rather sticky. If Ozpin angered this passive girl there would likely be bloodshed.

As if summoned from his thoughts, a hand appeared on the edge of the cliff. She pulled herself up, revealing her already known identity as Ruby. Ozpin acknowledged her presence with a nod, greeting her with a small smile.

She blinked, confusion appearing in her gaze for a memo net before realization seemed to come over her as a subtle, well-hidden flash of recognition coming across her eyes, as her partner appeared over the edge and climbed up alongside Ruby.

 _'I knew it.'_

* * *

The hustle of students was abundant in the auditorium, which was now filled with not only first years, but their friends, relatives, and some of the more senior students. Cheers rose with each name that was called, hands and banners being waved wildly.

"...Dove Bronzewing and Sky Lark, together you will form team CRDL…" Ruby recognized the names, and watched them receive praise from their parents and peers.

The next team was called up, "Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos…" they too walked up the stage, as if to receive a reward.

Ruby found herself wondering why such troubles were made just to announce teams.

"Ruby…" Hearing her name she did as had been told and ascended the stage, her new teammates following her. "Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. Together you will form team RWBY… Led by, Ruby." Ruby blinked, which was the only sign that she had even registered what was said, and looked at the professor. He was staring at her, gauging her reaction.

"It," he said, more to himself than the crowd, "Looks like things are shaping up to be an... interesting year."

The ancient wizard intrigued her, especially with how he recognized her after her changed appearance. Then again, they seemed to have a rather similar situation on hand.

Irritation, loathing, and numerous lesser negative emotions were laced with a curiosity that drew her gaze from the being before her. Her new teammate, Weiss Schnee, was staring at her with an irritated glare, with her gaze frequently transitioning from Ruby's wolf ears to her bored eyes.

Ruby shrugged, guessing her thoughts, "I didn't intend to be leader."

Apparently not the answer Weiss wanted, she scowled and turned away to the dorm area. The other three members followed her, with Blake silently bristling at Weiss' behavior.

Yang, the other member of their team, had an uncertain expression, clearly not used to open discrimination. She had an air of anger around her, and she was likely ready to begin another argument with her unlucky partner.

The walk to the dorm was done with haste, and deathly silence. Only Weiss's heels and Yang's unsubtle footsteps made an obvious noise. The dorm room was plain, undecorated, and full of luggage (the majority of which had what Ruby could faintly recall as the Schnee logos).

The team sluggishly prepared for bed after the long day, with Ruby lazily plopping down on her claimed bed. Ruby felt no actual fatigue, more of a muted sense of anticipation: an instinct that came with being a creature of the night. She didn't need or feel a need to sleep, and she wouldn't be sleeping tonight.

In contrast she could feel the mental exhaustion in the form of unsaturated emotions from Blake that had become prominent after the exhilaration in the Emerald Forest died off. A lesser version of the same feeling came from Weiss and a far lesser from Yang.

Weiss' withering glares had died down for the night, as she dressed for bed, a light blue nightgown complimented her eyes and long silvery hair, making her a sight to behold.

Blake changed quickly, and sat in her claimed bed with a book as she waited for peace to settle in the room.

Yang was the last to lie down in her bed for sleep, as she spent nearly half an hour simply brushing her hair almost feverishly. Weiss had already settled in bed and appeared to be calmly sleeping, but a glance into her emotional state told Ruby that she was in mental turmoil.

The lights went off twenty minutes later, and each of the team members were asleep after another twenty five minutes.

Silently Ruby shifted, climbing out of her bed, and breathed in, relishing the feel of the moonlight on her skin. Her foot went forward and her hand scooped up her scythe, a barely audible _shhnnn_ breaking the silence as the material hummed against the floorboards. Ruby stopped her advance: Blake was awake.

Ruby could tell by the feeling of being watched and a glistening yellow that Blake could see her clearly. A sense of alarm was prominent in the girl, clearly not expecting to be awoken by her leader hefting her scythe.

"Go back to sleep." Ruby whispered under her breath not looking at her teammate, knowing Blake could hear her.

A shift in the blankets told her that Blake was ignoring the order.

"Blake." The shifting paused, "It wasn't a request."

Confusion laced with worry assaulted Ruby's senses and she turned to glare at Blake. "Go back to sleep."

Not waiting to see if the girl obeyed her this time, Ruby continued out the room. Quietly she explored the hallways, slowly mapping out the dorm building, before she stepped foot outside.

The moon was entirely shattered, with the pieces scattered across the sky. One of the very few things that Ruby continued to see as beauty after her long life. She settled into a patch of grass, closing her eyes and soaking in the moonlight, much as a lizard or cat would sunbathe.

With a content sigh she settled in for the next hours until dawn.

* * *

The next morning Blake awoke to the door quietly clicking open. Squinting her eyes open, she saw bright red travel to sit in the empty bed. Silently cursing to herself, Blake realized that she must have fallen asleep sometime after Ruby left. She had been trying to stay awake and wait up for the girl, but clearly her exhaustion from initiation hadn't allowed that.

The feeling of eyes on her told her that Ruby was aware that she was awake. She inaudibly cleared her throat.

Her partner unnerved her, to say the least.

The small girl who couldn't be older than fifteen had an age that was spoken in her eyes that told her that the girl was far, far, older than she looked. It was the bored, inexpressive look that was near-constantly on her face that told Blake that her partner had probably had to grow up far too quickly. The knowledge saddened her, but a prickling doubt in the back of her mind told her that there was something more.

How could she cut an ancient Grimm's armor like paper? _Why_ did she go out all night and what did she do? _How did Ruby know she was awake?_ Not just once had questions appeared by the dozens in her mind. A shiver went down her spine as the intense gaze her partner had set upon her moved away. Blake slowly sat up in bed, groaning unconsciously as she stretched. She couldn't keep the yawn back and her mouth spread wide. She closed her mouth as quickly as her body allowed, her face taking its usual impassive expression as she looked at Ruby.

She travelled to the bathroom, having fished her uniform out from under her bed, and the bathroom door closed behind the unnerving girl. Not thirty seconds later, before Blake could assess the situation, Ruby re-emerged, now in her uniform— which was wrinkled with miscare. She held her worn armor and mangled cloak in her arms, seemingly debating where to put it. Eventually she carefully laid the clothes on her bed, not-so-subtly caressing her ominous weapon as she laid it flat on her sheets.

Her partner seemed to be able to stare into her soul, her silvery eyes rarely showing little more than boredom. Yet, her partner wasn't looking at her: Ruby was staring at an alarm clock, one that Blake faintly remembered Weiss setting the night before. 7:59

Blake barely had the time to register what was about to happen as the clock advanced to the next hour, and an obnoxiously loud beep began to blare repeatedly. Blake bit back an instinctual hiss as she covered her human ears in a vain attempt to stop the sound. She had two pairs of ears after all. Offering relief, Ruby sternly tapped the machine before Weiss' drowsy hand could reach it, before glancing at Blake, a barely noticeable upward curve to her lips. Blake sighed and nodded gratefully. There she was again, always a step ahead and aware of her teammates feelings. Truthfully, Blake could very clearly see why she had been the appointed leader.

Weiss sat up gracefully, stretching before stifling her yawn with a pale hand. She glanced around, distinctly aware that someone else had stopped her alarm. Her gaze found Ruby, then Ruby's wolf features, and she returned to her behavior the night before, bristling. With an annoyed huff she stepped out of her bed, padding to the bathroom to get ready for the day, shooting a quick glare in Ruby's direction.

Blake bit back a hateful statement, it was better to let things sort themselves out, Ruby was a strong person, that much Blake could see. If Weiss could accept their leader as a Faunus, then _maybe_ …

However as was present, Weiss showed no interest with interacting with the wolf-eared humanoid anymore than was entirely necessary.

Blake nibbled her tongue, glancing at the leader. She had moved from her position near Weiss' bed and was traveling to the other side of the room, towards Yang's bed.

Faintly Blake realized that her scythe was already strapped to her back, and she seemed to have polished her boots and mended a few of the tears in her cloak. Was that where she had gone last night?

Ruby stopped at Yang's bedside. The soft snores that could easily be distinguished told Blake that the blond hadn't been disturbed by the alarm clock in the slightest.

"Yang." Ruby said sternly, her voice slightly louder than was typical for her. The blond didn't budge.

Ruby leaned down to her ear and said the blond's name once more, at the same volume. Yang drew in a long breath, clearly not used to the new, admittedly creepy, presence of the cloaked girl. Her lilac eyes opened and she shot up, to which Ruby wisely moved out of her fists' range in a single, elegant, step. Yang blinked once, staring at Ruby, twice, then a flash of recognition went through her eyes.

"Heya, Rubes, what time is it?"

Blake blinked. Ruby blinked.

"Rubes?" Ruby finally voiced.

"Yea—," Yang answered, voice breaking into a yawn, "I give nicknames to my friends, don't mind me."

Ruby seemed taken aback at the word 'friend', but brushed it off, "It's 8:03, we have to get ready, class will start at 9:00."

Yang groaned loudly, "Why'd you wake me up so early?" She flopped back into bed, pulling the covers back over her head. "Let me sleep until at least 8:30, c'mon."

Ruby actually had the audacity to roll her eyes, a behavior Blake wasn't expecting. Blake raised her brow in question but her partner paid her no mind.

"Don't you still have to unpack?" Ruby prodded.

"F***," Yang mumbled not-so-subtly, while Blake herself rolled her eyes, "You're right." The blonde climbed out of bed clumsily, taking extra measure to pointedly groan like a dying animal with every drowsy step she took.

The blond's belongings consisted of clothes, hair supplies, combat supplies, TV show posters, and a couple of pillows of interesting shapes. She haphazardly threw her belongings onto her side of the room, only making time to stuff the clothes into her dresser and hang the posters. She set aside the hair supplies, likely to put them into the bathroom when Weiss came out.

Blake had just begun organizing her books (by _author_ ) when Weiss, as if on cue, exited the bathroom. The white haired girl took a brief moment to recognize what they were doing and set to work organizing her own belongings. She put a superfluous amount of energy into neatly folding her clothes and organizing every drawer. With an obvious practiced grace, she moved quickly and efficiently, finishing surprisingly fast, having took only twenty minutes or so. Then she set off on organizing _everything else_ she had packed.

Blake turned away, unwilling to watch what was truly unnecessary. She frowned as she realized that she had packed too many books to fit in the small bookshelf. She started putting the books under her bed then frowned, where would she put everything else?

Likely sensing her discomfort in the unnerving way she seemed to be able to, Ruby spoke up, breaking the quiet shuffling of the room.

"You can put the extra books under my bed." She said simply.

Blake looked up, then nodded quietly. Weiss had glanced over irritation in her eyes, her _rhythm_ having been disturbed. Blake barely held back a nasty smirk.

Yang, similarly had glanced up at the break in the silence, but went back to brushing her hair (a process which appeared to take a specific concentration of sustained brushing).

Blake had finished stacking her books under Ruby's bed, a barely hidden blush on her face from her secret _collection_ , when Ruby spoke again.

"It's 8:50 we need to get moving."

Weiss made a muffled sound almost like a strangled bird (that Blake struggled not to laugh at), before shooting to her feet. Yang snickered at the barely hidden panic that was written on her face.

"Yes, thank you for alerting us of the time." Weiss said, all business. Her belongings were still strewn about, and she would likely finish during the evening after classes.

Without another word Ruby left the room. Still unnerved, yet unwilling to be in the room with Weiss any longer than was necessary, Blake followed her partner. Weiss followed shortly after them, and Yang, not wanting to be left behind, followed as well.

* * *

"Monsters! _De_ mons! Prowlers of the night! Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I merely refer to them as **prey**! Ha-ha!"

Ruby stared at this elder human, a distinguished aura was surrounding him, alerting her of his skill, yet his flippant attitude betrayed it, preventing her from gaining any true respect for the human.

His failed attempt at what seemed to be a joke (Ruby still lacked in social cues), caused a sense of exasperation to fill her teammates. The feeling seemed to be more pronounced in Weiss, but as was common with her, she suppressed the emotion and focused on the class.

Ruby cocked her head with a sense of wonder as the retired Hunter began an exaggerated story of his youth. She felt eyes on her, and she glanced to her white-haired teammate, who was watching her carefully in expectation. Ruby stared back, then at the notes Weiss had been taking. She carefully read the tiny, neat, handwriting and blinked.

"I have a good memory," Ruby whispered to Weiss, "I don't need to write to remember." Apparently not the answer she wanted, Weiss scowled and returned her attention to the rambling professor, quickly jogging down a few notes (many of which were likely unnecessary for the future).

A shadow of darkened negativity became apparent to her, coming from one of her kin. Among the potent fury and blazing rage a sense of sorrow came to her senses. Ruby focused intently on the small, stocky cage that was vibrating with the struggle of what was likely a Boarbatusk. He had been caught after his brothers and sisters were killed and taken from the forest.

 _'Free me, elder sister.'_ It seemed to say. Only elder Grimm could actually communicate, with the younger variants being led entirely by instinct. Instinct told the darkened pig of the great respect this elder Echo deserved. Instinct told the boar to trust in the elders.

Ruby lost interest in the class quickly, realizing within minutes that the professor was spouting hyperbole after blatant lie, and focused on the boar. The class continued with a sense of drowsiness and boredom before Port spoke up, his voice taking on a different tone than his 'storytelling voice', which caught the attention of many students.

"So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?" Taking the hint, Ruby raised her hand, staring intently at the cage. An indignant sense of horror to her right told her that she had beat Weiss to the 'honor.'

"Ah, already noticed my little friend, eh?" A twinkled in his eyes told Ruby that he was interested in her abilities. "Marvelous! Step forward and face your opponent!"

Ruby took no time to walk down the stairs, instead she jumped over her desk, falling to the floor. She covered the distance in a single leap, landing in a graceful crouch.

She readied her scythe, preparing to end her misfortunate kin as quickly as possible.

The professor smiled from under his bushy mustache, "Alllright! Let the match begin!" He broughts his axe-gun down on the cage. The boar burst forward as the light hit its face, before abruptly rounding on the professor. The burly man frowned, clearly not expecting such behavior. He wrestled with the thing before turning it back towards Ruby who was whispering, seemingly to herself.

 _"I am a human. See me as a human."_ Aura was forced behind her order and the boar bellowed in a forced anger. It charged at her an unearthly squeal, to which Ruby near-absentmindedly sidestepped.

She ignored the typical Hunters' procedure of forcing the boar to expose its unarmored belly— instead she swiftly lunged forward her scythe lashing out. The tip of the blade gouged into the armor as if there was no resistance, and a deep slash was carved into the boar.

Panic encompassed the boar as it was forced to go into a wide turn and attack her once again. Had the boar been older he likely would've been cursing her betrayal in anger. The blind confused trust this boar possessed enabled it to only be able to feel panic as he attacked his elder.

The moment the boar was within range of her scythe, she took a small step forward, taking her scythe into an arc. The boar dispersed into shadow within the next few seconds.

 _'I apologize, Scrofa, for my misdeeds…'_

Ruby tilted her head in wonder as awe and suspicion assaulted her senses.

"Bravo! Simply splendid! It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true Hunteress-in-training!" He dismissed the class, with the students filing out in a hurry. Prickling hesitation and suspicion met her and she could feel the gaze of Weiss and even Blake. Yang appeared to be appreciative of her strength, thankfully caring not for the details.

Ruby glanced at her teammates, then in a single, fluid, motion she set her scythe onto her back and began her stride out the room. She could feel a small frown etching itself into her face as she walked.

This was beginning to be more of an annoyance than the new experience she had wanted. Perhaps it wasn't too late to mysteriously disappear into the forest? Ruby grimly chuckled under her breath. Just a few more days. Then she would make her decision.

* * *

 **Still opening the story oof**

 **I've written, rewritten, and rewritten again the fourth chapter, it's definitely gonna be late**

 **rip**


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